The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its planned protest scheduled for March 1, 2025, after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government to reduce the proposed telecom tariff hike from 50 per cent to 35 per cent.
The decision was welcomed by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), which, however, urged further relief measures for consumers.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had announced a 50 per cent increase in telecom tariffs on January 20, citing rising operational costs due to inflation and currency depreciation. Telecom operators had initially pushed for a 100 per cent hike before the government intervened.
Following negotiations, a 10-member committee was set up to review the increase, leading to a compromise at 35 per cent.
A source within the NLC confirmed the development, stating, “An agreement has been reached with the FG, and the tariff hike has been reduced to 35 per cent. The protest is no longer necessary.”
However, Lagos NLC Chairperson Funmi Sessi criticised the decision, arguing that any tariff adjustment should not exceed 15 per cent due to the economic hardship in the country.
Meanwhile, NLC’s Public Relations Officer, Upah Benson, said the union’s National Executive Council would meet today (Friday) for further deliberation.
NATCOMS Reacts
The President of NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, welcomed the reduction but expressed concern that telecom subscribers were not included in the negotiation process.
“We fought, and at least a 15 per cent reduction is something, but operators should consider further reductions to cushion the impact on consumers,” Ogunbanjo said.
The NCC and industry bodies, including the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, have yet to respond to requests for comment.